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A life like a film: Erich Küster will soon be celebrating his 102nd birthday!
Erich Küster reflects on his life at the age of 102; Mayor Demirbüken-Wegner is planning his birthday party in Reinickendorf.
A life like a film: Erich Küster will soon be celebrating his 102nd birthday!
On September 12, 2025, 101-year-old Erich Küster looks back on an eventful life, which he compares to a film. In his youth he completed an apprenticeship as a machinist, only to be drafted into the war in Crimea two weeks later. There he suffered a leg injury that saved him from an even worse turn of fate: Russian prisoner of war.
After the end of the war, Sexton found his way into various professions. He worked as a rubble helper, vulcanizer, turner, carpenter, dock worker and crane operator before ultimately taking on the role of warehouse and dispatcher. This variety of activities reflects the challenges and upheavals that many people experienced after the war.
A special birthday
In the present, Sexton enjoys a close friendship that enriches his everyday life. Since he was 97, he has been playing bingo on Tuesdays with his support. Mayor Emine Demirbüken-Wegner plans to celebrate his 102nd birthday in style. Sexton himself said: “It shouldn’t be my fault.”
Erich Küster's story is not just that of a single man, but it also draws parallels to the historical events of the Second World War, which continue to be an important topic in society. Many people are researching the events of this time, both for their own local research and to solve Nazi war crimes.
Research on military history
There is great interest in the history of the military units in the Second World War. Research can be helpful for various reasons, be it to identify old ammunition sites or to search for missing soldiers. Information about the stationing of troops can be found in the Federal Archives, but research is often laborious. Stocks are sorted by military department, making access difficult. Very few documents have been preserved in their entirety, as war diaries often ended as early as 1943.
For detailed research, there are helpful guides that point out the need to evaluate many holdings. Situation maps are accessible from the holdings of the Army High Command and provide an overview of stationed units. Historical documents and accounts are essential to understanding complex history and keeping alive the memories of what was. Ultimately, this is also part of the social responsibility that Erich Küster and many other contemporary witnesses embody in their own way.